Diesel power is excellent technology and one of the biggest benefits, of course, is fuel mileage, but diesel also offers other advantages. For instance, diesel-powered trucks and SUVs offer better carrying and load lugging capabilities than their petrol-powered counterparts. And diesel-powered vehicles have better low-end acceleration than petrol-powered cars because they build up so much torque from a low speed. But there are also a few drawbacks to diesel, including cost and city fuel economy. So, under what circumstances is diesel the right choice for you?
Highway Driving
If you do a lot of highway driving, diesel is worth a serious look. Diesel engines don’t need to work very hard during highway cruising, which means they can boast serious fuel economy improvements over petrol powerplants. In fact, diesel-powered cars can even outshine hybrids on the highway, largely because hybrids gain a major fuel economy benefit from regenerative braking, which is rarely done on the highway.
Small Price Difference
Another major reason you might want to consider a diesel engine is if the technology only adds a small price difference over a petrol-powered car or SUV. For example, adding a turbodiesel engine to a Mazda CX-5 only increases the selling price by around RM10,000 over a similarly equipped petrol-powered model. For car shoppers who do a lot of highway driving, that figure can be made up easily over time. Likewise, a Mazda6 SKYACTIV diesel boasts a similarly small price increase.
Specifications Mazda CX-3 1.5L Diesel Skyactiv
Engine 4-cylinder Diesel DOHC 16 Valve
Capacity 1499cc
Transmission 6-Speed Skyactiv Drive with Manual Shift
Max Output 105bhp @ 4000rpm
Max Torque 270Nm @ 1600-2500rpm
0-100km/h 10.1 secs
Top Speed 177km/h
Price: not on sale yet
